Arvind Kejriwal also launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying the AAP made several efforts for an alliance but was snubbed by the grand old party.

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NEW DELHI — Addressing the media on Thursday AAP leader and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal described the 2019 general elections as a battle to save democracy, Constitution and the long tradition of unity which he said was under threat.

Meanwhile, Kejriwal along with deputy chief minister of Delhi and other party officials released party manifesto for Delhi Lok Sabha elections 2019 on Thursday with the focus on full statehood for Delhi.

The AAP manifesto titled ‘Lekar Rahenge Poorn Rajya’ (We Will Take Full Statehood), as the name suggests primarily focuses on full statehood for Delhi. “AAP will gain full statehood for Delhi…the seven seats of Delhi will play a key role in forming the government at the Centre,” says Kejriwal.

“Most of the problems related to women security, health, pollution, and corruption persist in Delhi because the state government’s hands are tied by the Centre which controls everything,” he adds.

Arvind Kejriwal also launched a scathing attack on the Congress, saying the AAP made several efforts for an alliance but was snubbed by the grand old party.

“We had never dreamt of a ‘gathbandhan’ with Congress but today, keeping in mind the Modi-Shah challenge, we decided to have a ‘gathbandhan’ on 33 seats. We made all efforts in the past two months but had a feeling that they did not want an alliance. They put conditions but went back on them repeatedly,” he said.

Kejriwal said his party would have left all the seven seats for Congress if it was in a position to win. “But the Congress cannot win even a single seat in Delhi.”

“They don’t have an intention (to forge an alliance). For the past two months we have been trying for an alliance. I am saying this with huge sadness that if Modi and (BJP President Amit) Shah return to power, only one person will be responsible — Rahul Gandhi.

“The way he is weakening the opposition in West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Goa, Chandigarh, and Haryana, this is not a good thing,” the Delhi Chief Minister said after releasing AAP’s Delhi manifesto.

Addressing the media Kejriwal further said: “2019 elections can prove a turning point as this election is to save the country, democracy, and the Constitution.”

He said: “India is a 4,000-year-old country with a rich tradition. And despite diversity, India is one and its tradition has strengthened the country and given it power to face all kinds of attacks in the past.

“But today, its unity is being attacked. And if the country gets divided on the basis of religion and caste, then it will lose its centuries-old tradition.”

Hitting out at Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Amit Shah over his controversial tweet of sending back all “infiltrators” from the country except Hindus, Budhists and Sikhs, he said: “He (Shah) did not mention other religions like Muslims, Parsis or Jains while describing the infiltrators. They constitute over 20-25 crore of the population.

“What plan does the BJP has for them? Do they want them to be murdered, mob-lynched or being thrown into the Pacific Ocean?”

Kejriwal described the BJP manifesto as the one-line manifesto of pushing out “infiltrators” from the country. “For us, 2019 elections is to defeat that manifesto,” he said, reports IANS.

Kejriwal also accused the BJP of acting on Pakistan’s agenda.

“Pakistan wants people of Hindu and Muslim communities to fight each other and the BJP is working on the Pakistan’s agenda,” he said.

“Our agenda is to stop (Prime Minister Narendra) Modi and Shah,” he said, adding that the AAP will support any party or alliance which believes in secularism and also supports full statehood for Delhi, says IANS report.

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